Ship Types
This is a list of the various types of ships. Civilian Types Colony Ship A colony ship is a vessel used to transport colonists and materials to colonize a planet. Before the invention of the Warshawski sail, all colony ships were sublight craft. (HH1) Construction Ship A construction ship specialized in the building of structures in space or on inhabitable environments. Grayson owned some of these vessels. (HH2) Courier A courier is a small vessel used to transport personnel. It is similar to a cutter and a dispatch boat. Cutter A cutter is a small vessel used to transport personnel and material between vessels, to stations, and to planets. A cutter is too small to have an impeller wedge. Dispatch Boat A dispatch boat is a small vessel used for interstellar communication purposes. They typically mass around 40,000 tons and have a crew of ten. Fleet Maintenance Vessel They are operated by the Royal Manticoran Navy to provide on the spot repairs to vessels, who are damaged beyond the range of shipyards and repair facilities. Freighter A freighter was a type of civilian vessel used to transport material and people. The size of freighters ranged from megaton ships to very small ships. (HH1) One of the predominant freight shipping corporations was Hauptman Lines, a sub-company of the Manticoran Hauptman Cartel. (WS1) Manticoran freighters were generally part of the Royal Manticoran Merchant Marine, carrying the prefix "RMMS" (Royal Merchant Marine Ship). Passenger Liner A passenger liner is a type of civilian vessel used to transport a large amount of people. They are comparable to both the jumbo jet and cruise ship of the modern era rolled into one. Pinnace A pinnace is a type of shuttle with a capacity for about 100 personnel. Is normally armed, able to form a wedge, and is capable of high acceleration. Shuttle The shuttle is a type of small intrasystem vessel that used to ferry officers, crewmembers, and equipment between spacecraft, space stations, planets, and other locations. (HH1) Survey Vessel A survey vessel is a type of vessel used to scout of unmapped sectors of space and unexplored planets. They are equipped for long term sustainability and pack sophisticated scientific equipment. Warship Types Ship Classes and Abbreviations by Weight * LAC - Light Attack Craft * FG - Frigate * DD - Destroyer * CL - Light Cruiser * CA - Heavy Cruiser * BC - Battlecruiser * BB - Battleship * DN - Dreadnought * CLAC - LAC Carrier * SD - Superdreadnought Battlecruiser The battlecruiser (often abbreviated as BC) is a warship type used in first and second rate national navies. It is the smallest ship class that is designated as a capital ship. Battlecruisers are designed to straddle the line between medium combatants and heavier combatants, being both fast and well armed and armored. Their design features some internal compartmentalization and redundancy to help protect against battle damage, but not as much as ships of the wall. Battlecruisers roles center primarily on raiding and serving as a heavy screening unit for other capital ships. Battlecruisers are ideal for commerce raiding since it compels the enemy to deploy a disproportionate number of battlecruisers to defend against the raids. Similarly, BCs are used in raiding a system since their speed allows them to run away from any ship larger than a BC. Battlecruisers also serve as the heavy combat element and flagship for light task groups. The [[PNS Saladin|PNS Saladin]], a People's Republic of Haven Navy Sultan class vessel is an example of a battlecruiser. Battleship Battleships (often abbreviated to BB) are an obsolescent capital ship class. They are larger than the battlecruiser, massing between two and four million tons. The battleship occupies an uneasy space between the better armed and armored dreadnought and the faster, cheaper battlecruiser. On a ton-for-ton basis, a ship of the wall is more deadly than a battleship due to sturdier construction techniques and higher proportional tonnage that can be devoted to weapons. Because of this, no major naval power builds battleships, though some nations, such as the Republic of Haven, maintain them as rear area defensive units. CLAC LAC carriers ( nearly always abbreviated to CLAC) are vessels distinguished not by there tonnage but by there function, which is to act as mothership to wings of Light Attack Craft. Size of CLAC varies and is primarily a function of the 'LAC Doctrine' of the nation constructing the ship. For example Manticore favours Dreadnought-sized Carriers because it visualize LACs as an offensive platform and a fast 'carrier' can serve as an effective adjunct to a raiding force. The Republic of Haven primarily utilises LACs as screening elements for its Wall of Battle, this means it can afford to build slower SuperDreadnought-sized carriers allowing it to field more LACs for a given number of hulls. (HH10) While none have yet been built a small 'escort CLAC' is a potentially viable option for a small navy interested in LAC based power projection. Destroyer The destroyer (often abbreviated as DD) is a warship type used in most national navies. Destroyers are small vessels usually tasked with duties such as picketing, escorting, reconnaissance, and other similar duties. Destroyers are larger than frigates, typically massing between 65,000 to 80,000 tons. The [[HMS Hawkwing|HMS Hawkwing]] was an example of a destroyer that served in the Royal Manticoran Navy. (HH1) Dreadnought The Dreadnought (abbreviated to DN) is a warship type that is employed by first rate navies. Dreadnought class ships, along with superdreadnoughts and battleships, are classified as a ship of the wall. Dreadnoughts range between 5 and 6.5 million tons. Frigate The Frigate was a type of warship in employ of many national navies, such as the Royal Manticoran Navy. The class was smaller than the destroyer, and mainly used for such duties as picketing, to escort convoys, and other roles reserved for small vessels. The ship class has grown increasingly obsoleted by advances in weapons and drone technology, such that by the late 1800s P.D., no major naval power deploys them, though a squadron of 12 Frigates was privately commissioned and built in the Manticore System for the use of the Anti-Slavery League though in reality they where effectively under control of the Audubon Ballroom and eventualy became the core of the Navy of Torch The [[HMS Osprey|HMS Osprey]] was an example of frigate for the Royal Manticoran Navy. (HH1) Heavy Cruiser Heavy cruisers (often abbreviated to CA) are a medium combatant. Heavy cruisers are designed for longer term independent action as a system picket, heavy commerce protection unit, and as a screening unit for capital ships. Heavy cruisers range between 160 and 350 thousand tons. LAC The term 'LAC' is an abbreviation for Light Attack Craft. LACs are intrasystem craft, incapable of entering hyperspace. Their traditional roles has been that of very light picket ship and for customs duties. (HH2) Third or fourth tier states such as those on the verge of the Solarian Leauge often have navies entirely composed of LACs. (SI1) Improved technology and the advent of the CLAC has reinvigorated the LAC as a warfighting vessel (HH9) * List of LACs Light Cruiser Light cruisers (often abbreviated to CL) are similar in function to the Destroyer. Whereas destroyers typically carry all lasers for an energy armament, light cruisers typically manage to cram in the larger, more destructive graser. It is most commonly used for reconnaissance, commerce protection, and commerce raiding. The average tonnage is between 90 and 150 thousand tons. The [[HMS Fearless (CL-56)|HMS Fearless]] was an example of a light cruiser that served in the Royal Manticoran Navy. (HH1) Q-Ship A Q-ship is a military vessel designed to look like a merchantman. They may be built from the keel out as Q-ships, or converted from existing merchant ships. The Q-ship, [[PMSS Sirius|PMSS Sirius]], under the service of the People's Republic of Haven was disguised as an ''Astra'' class freighter. (HH1) Superdreadnought The superdreadnought is a type of warship employed by large national navies, such as the Republic of Haven Navy, and the Royal Manticoran Navy. They are the largest warships to be built, with tonnage ranging between 7 and 9 million tons. They are grouped with the dreadnought and the battleship classifications as ships of the wall. The [[HMS Manticore|HMS Manticore]] of the Royal Manticoran Navy was an example of a superdreadnought. (HH1) Category:Spacecraft Category:Ship Types